Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Highlights and Video from KABC's coverage of my bill to block local governments from issuing tickets to drivers who park at broken parking meters:

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A bill was introduced in Sacramento on Tuesday that seeks to block the city of Los Angeles from issuing tickets to drivers who park at broken meters.

A new state law that took effect Jan. 1 allows drivers to park at broken meters, but it also allows cities to opt out. The Los Angeles City Council did just that last month by a vote of 12-1, which means motorists can still be fined if parked at a broken meter.

Assembly Bill 61, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D- Los Angeles), would block the city from enforcing the citations and allow drivers to park for the maximum time allowed.

"The taxpayer pays to install the meter, the taxpayer pays to maintain the meter and it's just outrages to say the taxpayer can't park at a meter if the government hasn't fixed it," Gatto said...

...Gatto also said cities are trying to get extra revenue through the citations.

"They're trying to issue more fines and I just don't think that's right," Gatto said... "If the meter don't work, they should fix it. Everything is just to squeeze money out of people. That's just what it is. It's just money, money, money."

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the California State Assembly. He represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and portions of the Hollywood Hills and East Hollywood. www.asm.ca.gov/gatto